A valve of the general type under consideration, which may be in the form of, for example, a 2/2-way valve, can be used, for example, for controlling the flow of pressure medium between a pressure medium source and a pressure medium sink. For this purpose, an inlet chamber of the valve is connected via an inlet connection to the pressure medium source and an outlet chamber of the valve is connected via an outlet connection to the pressure medium sink. The valve has a positioning device by which the inlet chamber can be connected to or shut off from the outlet chamber. In the through-flow position the inlet chamber is connected to the outlet chamber and the pressure medium source is therefore connected to the pressure medium sink. In the shut-off position the inlet chamber is disconnected from the outlet chamber and the pressure medium source is therefore disconnected from the pressure medium sink.
The positioning device is usually embodied as a piston. The control of the piston is effected by means of a control chamber, which can be subjected to the pressure medium. The pressure medium can act on the piston via a control face of the piston and thus bring about a movement of the piston. In a configuration of such a valve, which is also referred to as normally closed, the valve is in the shut-off position when the control chamber has been vented. The piston is preloaded by a spring such that the pressure medium cannot flow from the inlet chamber into the outlet chamber. In order to transfer the valve from the shut-off position to the through-flow position, pressurization of the control chamber with the pressure medium is required. During pressurization of the control chamber the pressure medium acts on a control face of the piston, whereby the piston is moved against the force of the spring and therefore opens the path between the inlet chamber and the outlet chamber, so that the pressure medium can flow from the inlet chamber to the outlet chamber.
During pressurization of the control chamber with the pressure medium, the problem can arise that the piston is set into oscillation caused by the activation with the pressure medium, since the piston, in combination with the spring, represents an oscillatory system. This oscillation is undesirable because, firstly, it can cause noise and, secondly, it can even lead to destruction of the valve.